


Holiday Cheer

by ChokolatteJedi



Category: White Collar
Genre: Advent Challenge 2015, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Getting to Know Each Other, Grinch References, Holidays, Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-16
Updated: 2015-12-16
Packaged: 2018-05-11 12:19:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5626309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChokolatteJedi/pseuds/ChokolatteJedi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal's first Christmas with the FBI; Peter starts to notice something</p>
            </blockquote>





	Holiday Cheer

**Author's Note:**

> For the advent prompt "Holiday Cheer."

"And for Neal, mortgage fraud!" Peter announced cheerfully, sliding the ubiquitous folder down the table to his consultant.

"Awesome," Neal replied sarcastically.

"Cheer up, Neal." Diana waved her own folder at him. "Only two weeks until Christmas!"

The others also smiled and smirked, and Neal offered his usual smile, but Peter noticed that it didn't reach his eyes.

As the group dispersed to their desks, Peter watched Neal closely. His consultant was acting normally, but there was a slight tension in his neck and shoulders that betrayed him. They'd only been working together for a few months, but Peter had spent years chasing Neal and even more worrying about him in prison. Peter knew there was something Neal wasn't telling him.

\---

Over the next few days Peter watched Neal closely. He acted like his normal self, but he seemed... depressed, for lack of a better word. Peter had done what research he could into Neal's past as soon as he was captured, but there was a giant blank before he turned nineteen, and not much between there and twenty-four. Peter had no idea why Neal would be upset now.

But as the week wore on, Peter noticed a pattern. As more and more holiday decorations worked their way into the office, Neal became more and more tense. His desk also remained conspicuously bare. When someone mentioned their plans for the long weekend, or wished Neal a Merry Christmas, Neal's neck would tense slightly, or his forehead would crinkle a little. It was subtle, but Peter was watching intently, and he began to put the clues together.

At last, Peter nudged Neal as everyone prepared to go home on Friday. "Come on," he said.

Neal obediently followed, unusually quiet as Peter drove them. Finally, they arrived at the mall near Peter's house. As Neal got out of the car, Peter saw the tell-tale tension reappear. "Is White Collar working shoplifting now?" Neal joked.

"Actually-" Peter began, but Neal shot him the look. "It's got to be better than mortgage fraud, right?"

Neal scowled. "Oh, much." As they got closer to the stores, however, Neal seemed to connect the dots. "You put off your Christmas shopping, didn't you?"

"Oh yeah," Peter admitted.

"So who's on the list?" Neal seemed to cheer up a bit at the prospect of becoming Peter's personal shopper, but that tension was still there.

"El, of course."

"Of course."

"My parents, her parents, Cruz, Jones..."

"Hughes" Neal added.

Peter wasn't sure about that, but he decided not to argue, as long as Neal was on board. As soon as they entered the first store, however, Neal's tension increased. The blaring Christmas music and garish red and silver decorations were impossible to miss, and Peter found his hunch confirmed.

Now he just had to act on it.

\---

They spent over an hour shopping, and took care of Peter's entire list. Neal even convinced him to get a nice bottle of scotch for Hughes.

The trip was drawing to a close, but Peter still hadn't found a way to broach the subject of Christmas with Neal. As they walked to the car with full arms, he decided to stall for time. "Well, I suppose as payment for this you're going to demand dinner," he offered.

"Is El cooking?" Neal immediately teased.

Peter sighed but took the jab. "Yes."

Neal's smile widened. "Then I'm in."

In the car, Peter realized it was now or never. "So, anyone on your shopping list?"

Neal snorted. "Not going to find a present for Mozzie at a mall."

"June?"

"Already done."

Peter would have loved to get more details on that, but he needed to focus on the mystery at hand. "No one else?"

"Now you're fishing," Neal smirked.

Peter didn't deny it. "So no one back home?"

The tension increased, and Neal didn't reply.

Peter decided to go for broke. "Any Christmas traditions from childhood?"

"What's with the third degree?" Neal neatly avoided the question.

"Well, you've been in prison for the last four years; no chance to celebrate the holidays. And now you're on the anklet; no way to go see family or friends outside-"

"Two miles." Neal said shortly. "Well don't worry. I'm not going to run home for Christmas. Everyone I want is here."

That wasn't true, and they both knew it, but Peter decided not to bring up Kate at the moment. Not when he was so close to getting Neal to open up. "So no family plans, no traditions..."

"Why are you harping on this?" Neal demanded defensively.

Peter didn't reply, sure that Neal would continue if he didn't.

"What do you want from me, Peter? Want to trade stories from our childhoods? Want to reenact _A Christmas Carol_ with Mozzie as Tiny Tim? Want to roast chestnuts on an open fire?" Neal's mouth snapped shut after his outburst, but his cheeks were red and his eyes were glassy.

Peter stared at Neal, waiting for him to continue. He knew that, in this state, Neal would get fidgety and reveal himself.

Neal finally turned and flopped against his seat, muttering, "You're like a Grinch."

The Grinch had nothing to with their conversation, and Peter seized on the non-sequitur. "I'm a Grinch? I'm stealing your presents? Or I'm having a change of heart about the season?"

Neal didn't answer, but the flush on his cheeks darkened.

"Or am I a Scrooge? Working you to the bone? Or also having a change of heart about the season?" Peter asked.

Neal took the bait. "Well, let's see. I work for you at the office all day and then I have to come home and be your personal servant, so yeah, I'd say Scrooge is pretty accurate."

"I'm paying you with El's lasagna," Peter pointed out, but Neal was on a roll.

"Not enough that the world has decided that Christmas has to start two weeks before Thanksgiving, but everyone's decorating their desks at work, and talking about their holiday plans, and June's going to France, and Mozzie's ranting about consumerism, and you're having me shop for you..." Neal trailed off, staring out the window.

Peter took a shot. "I'm not going to call you a Grinch if you say you don't like Christmas."

"I don't hate Christmas!" Neal immediately defended himself.

Peter waited a moment before replying calmly. "I didn't say hate."

Neal shrugged.

"Did you ever celebrate the holidays as a child?" Peter asked. "I'm asking as a friend, not as the world's foremost expert on Neal Caffrey, International Thief Extraordinaire."

That prompted the small smile he had hoped, but Neal continued to stare out the window blankly.

"Neal?" Peter prompted.

"No," he whispered.

Peter considered that for a moment. "So you've never-"

"I've never gotten the whole 'holiday spirit' thing," Neal said quickly. "I just don't care. So yeah, call me a Grinch. Call me a Scrooge. I've heard it all before. Whatever."

Peter knew he wasn't the best at this kind of thing, but he had started this without El and he had to finish it that way. "I'm not going to call you a Grinch, Neal. So you don't have any holiday memories from your childhood. So we'll make some new ones."

Neal gave him the look.

"Yeah, I know. Look, come to dinner tonight. Have El's lasagna. Talk to her about this-"

"Yeah, we both know she's the sensitive one," Neal teased, smiling weakly.

Peter manfully ignored that. "Figure out what the holidays mean to you. Maybe start some new traditions."

Neal studied him intently for a long moment. "With El?" he finally asked.

"With El," Peter allowed. "And me, June, Mozzie, even Cruz and Jones, if you want."

After another long moment, Neal nodded. "Okay."

Neal had a ways to go, but Peter thought that, by the end of this season, he might actually be okay.


End file.
